


May We Meet Again

by shopfront



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Closure, F/F, Moving On, POV Outsider, Reunions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-20
Updated: 2019-08-20
Packaged: 2020-08-13 23:47:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20182729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shopfront/pseuds/shopfront
Summary: One alien facility has managed to contain two very serious, universe threatening problems. Until now. But the Doctor and Yaz have only identified one of them, so someone else has arrived to clean up the other.





	May We Meet Again

**Author's Note:**

  * For [GettingGreyer](https://archiveofourown.org/users/GettingGreyer/gifts).

A stranger shoved past Yaz just as she’d locked onto the signal, jostling her sharply enough for her fingers to slip off the device’s alignment buttons. “Oi! Watch where you’re going,” she cried out, outraged as she watched the signal blink twice and disappear off her radar tracker entirely. “Now you’ve done it, I’ll have to let it recharge again. Who are you, anyway? This facility is in lockdown, where exactly did you come from?”

“Just passing through, don’t mind us,” was all the stranger said. When she puffed up, ready to unleash the full bearing of her best police voice on him, he just winked and continued on his way. Before she could kick off, however, three additional people followed him into the room.

Frowning, Yaz took a step back and surveyed them. She was careful to keep the door she’d entered through behind her in case a quick exit became necessary - though luckily it was a big hub of a room, with many doors, so she'd probably have plenty of choices if something went wrong. Still, all of them were carrying what looked to her like weapons. Concerning, even if all of them were holstered - though from what the Doctor had said of their time period and location, they could actually be carrying around portable hair dryers for all she knew. Each of them also had a strange, matching necklace with a round yellow disc on the end that their hands kept straying to, like it was important.

“Sorry for the intrusion, we’ll be out of your hair in just a moment,” one of the new three told Yaz with a warm smile. It was a familiar expression, not unlike the comforting smile Yaz had practiced in the mirror for her first day on the job. A smile that said ‘everything was going to be okay’ and ‘please stay calm, I haven’t got time for the extra paperwork.’

Yaz narrowed her eyes, but the woman didn’t seem terribly bothered. She just tucked a lock of blonde hair behind her ear and casually checked her wristwatch, still smiling widely.

“Really,” she continued earnestly just as the Doctor came barrelling into the room. “We don’t want to bother you. We’ll just head through to the other room and let you get on with it, yeah?”

Yaz staggered with an oomph as the Doctor collided with her, but luckily the Doctor caught her by the elbow before she could fall. When she turned to say thanks for the save, she found herself hesitating. The Doctor wasn’t paying Yaz the slightest bit of attention. Instead, her eyes were wide and her face was blank as she stared at the newcomers, and she seemed particularly fixated on the woman who’d been trying to reassure Yaz.

That same woman took a deep breath, her smile becoming a bit more rigid. “I was just telling your friend-”

“Where did you come from? Also, how did you get in here? This facility is on lockdown!” the Doctor said in her usual rapid-fire. Her words didn’t sound as sharp as usual to Yaz though, like the Doctor was dazed.

“Oh, here and there,” the woman answered her with forced cheer. Yaz's frown deepened as she watched them watching each other - and as the rest of the woman’s companions started patting each other on the arm and pointing eagerly at their own wrists. The woman noticed and gave them a nod, and they all started trooping out of the room in single file while the woman kept an eye on Yaz and the Doctor and brought up the rear. “It’s a long story. But never mind that now, this is us. You have a good day, yeah? Though maybe stay out of the basement levels for a bit. It should be fine now, but you never know. Better safe than sorry.”

She turned to follow her friends at the last moment, only to pause in the doorway. There was a strange crackle of light and energy from the other room and the glow threw her face into sharp relief as she looked back over her shoulder at them, her eyes starting to narrow

“This might sound odd, but… do I know you?”

“Me? No, not in the slightest. Though I do get why you'd ask, I'm told I have one of those faces,” the Doctor replied quickly.But she was staring back at the stranger equally intently. “Er, Yaz, how’s that signal coming?”

Yaz blinked and tore her gaze away from their staring match. It only took her a moment to check the charge level and then find and press the signal boosting sequence again. After a few seconds the device re-started its search and she was able to find the dot they’d been following.

“Got it! But it’s moving fast, it’s already way ahead of us again,” Yaz said.

“Right, good-”

“Good?” Yaz asked, incredulous.

“Well, not good. Bit of a bother really, but I’m sure we’ll catch up. Chop, chop, Yaz! Places to see, people to... go... find.”

Quickly she ushered Yaz to a different exit, the one that the strangers had arrived through. Yaz let the Doctor urge her through it and across the tiny hall to another door, one leading into a strange alien garden. She didn’t protest, more than ready to shrug off their unexpected company. But a voice called after them-

“Doctor? Doctor, is that you?”

\- and the Doctor's hand fell away from Yaz's back as she stopped pushing her across the garden and came to a dead stop.

“Oh, that's not good. Can't let her stay- Maybe go on ahead without me, Yaz. I’ll catch up, not to worry, off you go,” the Doctor said.

Yaz stumbled to a stop on the other side of the small courtyard, torn between following the blinking dot as directed and waiting to make sure the Doctor was okay. She opened her mouth and turned, ready to call out a question - only to stop and stare at the sight of the Doctor caught in what appeared to be a very tight embrace. The woman had the Doctor wrapped in her arms, squeezing for all she was worth, and the Doctor looked - Yaz didn't really know what the Doctor looked like. But she was slowly bringing her arms up to return the hug at least so she was probably okay, and as her eyes fell closed the thought occurred to Yaz that she'd never seen the Doctor look so happy yet so sad at the same time.

“It is you,” the woman said in a wondering tone when they finally broke apart. She dropped a lingering kiss on the Doctor's cheek before she stepped back. “Gosh, you’ve got a bit more than a new face this time!”

Yaz had to strain a little to hear her, the words quiet and spoken just for them. Torn, she again weighed up the choice to go on ahead as directed - but curiosity kept her rooted to the spot. Besides, it wouldn’t be the first time while travelling with the Doctor that one of them had walked a way from something innocuous only for it to go unexpectedly bad. The Doctor might need her. It would probably be safer to stay within ear shot, just for a little bit.

Chewing on her lip, Yaz did at least turn side-on to the reunion and started examining her radar device again to provide at least a veneer of privacy. She watched as the blinking dot moved further away from them at a steady pace, but she also couldn’t entirely stop herself from shooting glances back at the Doctor. The woman had kept a firm grip on the Doctor’s hands even though she'd pulled back, and neither of them seem inclined to break it.

“Rose,” the Doctor was saying, her voice cracking. “Rose, I- You really shouldn’t be here. Crossing over will have destabilised-”

“Yeah, we know. Long story, but there was a small breach from our side to yours,” Rose said. The Doctor reared back, looking alarmed, but Rose just smiled and held on tight. “Don’t worry, we’ve sorted it now. We had to make a few adjustments to these old discs but we rigged up something that should replicate the breach healing thing you did at Canary Wharf. We just had to pop over to destroy the tech that came through and was keeping the breach active before it could work. I can’t- I’ll have to follow them in a minute, I don’t have long.”

“Right. You have to go back. Bit of a problem if you don't, universes collapsing again and all. Of course you do, just- Oh, sod it, I've got to ask: how is everyone? Are you... are you happy?”

Rose’s eyes softened, and she raised a hand to caress the Doctor’s cheek. “I am. _We_ are. Mum and Dad too, and little Tony. We decided on a bit of a no aliens break right after everything, went a bit mad with all the normal boring human stuff instead. But it all worked out just like you thought, and I'm back doing this now and all.”

“Alien break, what did you do that for? You must still be with Torchwood,” the Doctor said, picking up the yellow disc around Rose’s neck and waving it around a little.

Rose laughed, her eyes crinkling as she took the disc back out of the Doctor’s hands. “Yeah, I am. Still protecting people, just like we used to. And the break was his idea, just for a bit. I think he took what you said at the end there to heart. But it was nice, really. Dad pitched in, sent us all round the world and everything, we made a proper trip of it.”

“That’s brilliant,” the Doctor said, finally breaking into an answering smile of her own. “Not a surprise really, that you’d still be doing brilliant things. My brilliant, beautiful Rose.”

“What about you?” Rose asked. She caught Yaz’s eye, and looked amused when Yaz startled. Yaz felt her cheeks warm as she turned away again, telling herself off under her breath and determined to keep her eyes fixed on the tracker this time. Not that it lasted. When she looked back over, Rose was smirking and nudging the Doctor with her elbow. “Are you doing okay? Looks like you found someone else alright, she’s cute.”

The Doctor bounced on the balls of her feet and their joined hands around in excitement. “Oh yes, that’s Yaz! I have my fam now. My gang. I also had Amy and Rory and Clara and Bill and- oh, I got married! Can you picture _me_, married? Properly married, not just saying the words and then running away from Queens like I used to. That’s also a long story. It’s all been a very, very long story, really. This isn’t- I’ve been- It’s been awhile, Rose Tyler. I’m old now! Well, older. Much older. Also a long story.”

“You don’t look it,” Rose said softly. She peered at the Doctor and laughed when the Doctor had to either lean back or go cross eyed trying to look back at her. “Your eyes, you look young again. Or just, I don’t know… different, somehow. It suits you.”

To Yaz’s surprise, the Doctor ducked her head and blushed. Before either of them could say anything more though, Rose’s watch started beeping.

“Oh no, I have to-”

“Get back to me?” the Doctor asked. Yaz blinked, bewildered, but the question seemed perfectly understandable to Rose.

“Yeah,” Rose answered. She ran her fingers once more across the Doctor’s cheek and then stepped back, reaching for her yellow disc. But her eyes slipped past the Doctor to find Yaz, and it was Yaz she called out to. “You’ll take care of the Doctor for me, yeah?”

“Of course!” Yaz called back.

But Rose barely seem to hear it, her attention already back on the Doctor. They said goodbye at the same time, sounding sad even as they smiled, and their eyes didn’t leave each other again even when the beeping grew louder and Rose pressed down on the disc.

Yaz gasped as Rose suddenly blinked out of existence. A small frisson of light crackled in the air behind her like something was burning up in her wake. Then that too disappeared, leaving the Doctor standing alone. She was still and silent for a long time, just staring at the empty space. But when she finally took a deep breath and stepped away, Yaz was relieved to see she was smiling despite the tears in her eyes.

“Old friend?” Yaz asked cautiously when the Doctor reached her.

“Something like that,” the Doctor said, still distracted. But she took Yaz’s hand and held onto it tightly, like Yaz was a lifeline she sorely needed.

“What did you mean when you said she had to go back to you? Or 'me', or whatever” Yaz asked as she squeezed the Doctor’s hand back. “Is she like me and Ryan and Graham, but from a different time? Can you even do that, cross your own timeline like that?”

“Yes you can, but it never works out quite that simply,” the Doctor said slowly. Yaz made a curious noise and finally the Doctor seemed to shake off her distracted air. “Technically I left her with, well, with another version of me. Bit different in a few key areas really, but close enough. Worked out it seems, happily ever after and all that.”

“Did it really? I mean, she seemed pretty happy to see you. Like she really missed you, not like she already had another you waiting for her back home.”

“Like I said, just a few key differences. One heart, for starters. May have also been just a wee bit genocidal. Small character flaw really, couldn’t help it, no one’s fault. Funny things tend to happen when you make me, well, human.”

Yaz raised a skeptical eyebrow. “So there’s a human version of you running around out there killing people?”

“Oh no, nothing like that. No actual killing. Not again, I don’t think. I hope. I mean, maybe, but he had Rose, so…. Look, the important thing is that he’s there and not here and everything is okay and nobody is dying unnecessarily. Hopefully,” the Doctor replied as she plucked the tracker from Yaz’s hands and scrutinised the read out. “Well come on, looks like we've got plenty of ground to make up now.”

“Wait, did you say ‘he’?” Yaz asked faintly, but the Doctor was already haring off into the wilder stretches of the garden.

“Come on, Yaz! Best get a move on, we still have to track that signal and find Graham and Ryan!” the Doctor yelled back over her shoulder as she jumped a log and dodged an odd looking flower with teeth.

“Yes, but Doctor… what do you mean _he_?” Yaz cried as she scrambled to catch up.


End file.
